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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · kid · current · fall · hand · pitch · jam · racket

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kid — to tease
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — of water
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bulb — for light
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — completely
  19. hand — help
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. current — happening now
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com